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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344579">Beyond the Mirror [A Persona Story]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Essention/pseuds/Essention'>Essention</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stories from the Mirror World [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Gen, I already have one person on the Hato simping train., Lore reasons., Might as well count this as a crossover., Mirror Universe, Mirrors, Usual Persona stuff., You guys are gonna like this., death mention, mentions of abuse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:53:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,671</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Essention/pseuds/Essention</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dreams are just dreams, right...?<br/>Even if they only consist of the same one every single night.</p><p>...Right?</p><p>Otoji Arisato suffers from this; a dream where he is someone... Something... That he isn't. Names are muffled and faces are blurred. He can only make out what "he" is doing... And what "he" was there for. It has been happening for the past few months. He does his best to shrug it off... But even then, it bugs him. If it's a dream then... Why is it always the same one?</p><p>The truth lies beyond the mirrors... Not only for himself... But for his friends.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stories from the Mirror World [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Master of Strings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hoo boy. I did a lot of work worldbuilding for this. Alongside that, roleplaying the main protags for this has helped me in getting their personalities down. I hope you enjoy the story! This is gonna be one heck of a project for me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em> <span class="u">[APRIL 17th, 20XX | EVENING]</span> </em> </b>
</p><p>The same ol' nighttime routine...</p><p>A loose t-shirt, plain baggy pajama pants, bare feet... Clean teeth and relieved bladder... A comfy bed... It was like every night for him. Sleep was a weird thing when it came to this poor soul. It was a natural thing to do; everyone sleeps. Eyes shut, maybe some snoring, dreams to occupy the unconscious mind. But for him, it was... Something. He's grown used to this routine. It was the same preparation every night. The same things to do...</p><p>And the same dreams...</p><p>He gets under the covers... Lets out a tired hum... And closes his eyes...</p><p>
  <em>[ ... ]</em>
</p><p>It all started with darkness. Eventually his vision was greeted with green skies, a bright full moon shining in a similar hue, and a multi-armed monster with a light blue mask and multiple blades... The location looked to be on a roof. He could hear rapid breathing... But this voice isn't his own. It was harsh, it gave away fear, there was a bit of uncertainty. His vision went down to see what looked like a gun... Those hands weren't his. He couldn't feel any movement; he could only watch. He heard another voice but... It was muffled. He couldn't make out the words. He knew something was said but the words weren't clear.</p><p>Soon he heard the main voice speak. The breathing turned into a gradual spoken word. It was syllable by syllable; that he could tell. But even then, it was muffled.</p><p>Then everything in his vision turns into a bright gradient cyan and blue accompanied by the sound of shattering glass. He could properly feel himself more... The blueness of his vision would gradually fade, revealing the scene once again...</p><p>He began to speak, himself. His own voice was clear. But there was some sort of echo behind it. The dreamer felt himself... But even then... Was he truly himself here?</p><p>
  <b>"Thou art I..."</b>
</p><p>
  <b>"And I am thou..."</b>
</p><p>That was of his voice in tone, pitch, and timbre. The dreamer did not know the meaning of what these words meant... But the self did.</p><p>
  <b>"From the sea of thine soul, I cometh..."</b>
</p><p>It was a faint feeling... The dreamer felt connected to something. What that connection was, he didn't know. This dream... It was strange. But it was always the same dream. Yet every time he had it, he still didn't know the meaning behind it.</p><p>
  <b>"I am ███████, <span class="u">master of strings</span>...!"</b>
</p><p>Even if it was his own voice, the name "he" would give... That was muffled, too. He couldn't identify himself. Trying to think always drew a blank... There was no context to draw clues from... </p><p>Yet, "he" moved. With great strength, metal-jointed arms grabbed what "he" knew was kept on behind him. It was a gigantic stringed instrument; an elegantly crafted lyre that was strong enough to withstand use as a weapon... As seen when it was used to attack the masked monster. It did some of the trick but the weird thing kept scrambling around the area; gross squishes and thumping simultaneously being made with each step... "He" kept focus on the beast; a weird yet natural-feeling sensation filling his body for the moment before escaping as explosive flames sent to attack the beast. The thing didn't seem too phased, shaking itself clean of the blaze before it scrambled again... More flames were ignited in attempt to subdue the thing.</p><p>It's what the gun-holder wanted "him" to do, after all. Why else was "he" here?</p><p>But the fires weren't strong enough.<br/>
The beast still stood.<br/>
How much longer could this keep up...?<br/>
<br/>
<em>"It's okay."</em></p><p>One of the other voices from early on rang in "his" head. It was of a higher pitch... Like a child... And what was just said was all clear for him to hear. The dreamer, having experienced this dream over and over, knew what was next. But what was coming always threw him off...<br/>
<br/>
Intense pain.</p><p>A massive headache.</p><p>It felt like... <br/>
Something was trying to escape "him"... <br/>
And yet the pain was all up there.</p><p>Mechanical-like hands gripped "his" scalp, tightening at the great wave of excruciating pain. "His" body went limp, writhing as what was trying to escape made great attempts to from within. Just a second after...</p><p>
  <em>[ ... ]</em>
</p><p>His eyes were wide open. It was morning. He was in his room. The sun was shining through the curtains covering the window. His hair was a mess; the portion of his bangs that usually hung over his right eye now scattered all over his face.</p><p>The dream was over. No longer was he an entity he has yet to understand.</p><p>He is Otoji Arisato...<br/>
...And today is another day.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Naruaki</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[April 18th, 20xx | Morning]</p><p>Monday. Another week of school.<br/>Same faces. Same places.</p><p>...But out of all of those faces, one of them is always a welcome sight.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Back onto the daily grind as always.</p><p>Soft ruby-colored eyes gazed into the bathroom mirror. Usual morning bags under his eyes, messy bed hair, an expression of fatigue... It would take several minutes of brushing to get his white hair more straighter and neat... And his bangs properly sorted, covering most of his right eye. Then there was brushing his teeth again for the day coming... Putting on his school outfit... And gathering everything he needed for the new week. An open school uniform jacket with a pale green turtleneck underneath, gray jeans with a few small holes, then socks and sneakers... He put a solid dark red colored bandanna around his neck for flair alongside putting white finger-less gloves on his hands. It was always his usual outfit. Why he chose this combination of clothes? He just... Liked it. It helped him stand out a bit... But not too much. There weren't any words from the school staff that didn't allow him to change things up a bit, either. It was a win-win, sort of.</p><p>With the school supplies he needs now packed into his handy shoulder bag, he closes the zipper and grabs the straps of the bag; placing the entire thing to hang on his shoulder. Why else was it called a <em>shoulder</em> bag? Without a single word, Otoji leaves his house; exiting through the front door. The brightness of the sun would cause him to squint slightly for a moment until his sight properly adjusted to daylight.</p><p>It wasn't that long of a walk from his house to school; maybe about ten minutes or so? He would usually take the first portions of the trek alone; humming a solemn tune and not letting himself get too close to anybody. His eyes were kept downwards; avoiding eye contact with anyone he may come across while still keeping what's ahead of him in sight. He only has to turn a few corners before he gets to the street where he can see the school on the horizon. It was a small town, after all; there weren't any complicated road maps to memorize. He knew the route from point A to point B by heart alongside any detours he would need to make.</p><p>There were quickly approaching footsteps coming from behind him, the tempo giving note that it was a jog. He didn't really pay any mind to it...</p><p>"Otoji!"</p><p>...Until he heard his name being called.</p><p>With a turn of his head, Otoji gazed behind him to see who wanted his attention...<br/>Much to his pleasant surprise, it was a familiar face.<br/>"...Naruaki-senpai."</p><p>Standing a few inches taller than him stood a good friend of his from school; Naruaki Seta. Silver hair that is neatly styled and reaches the bottom of his shoulder blades, parted bangs that mainly go off to the left side, golden eyes that gazed from behind prescription glasses... He wore the same uniform jacket but it was buttoned from the bottom to middle section; the upper portion remaining open to reveal the white collared shirt underneath and a necklace with an aquamarine charm. He also wore the school uniform pants and brown dress shoes. Hanging around his body from the right shoulder was a long-strapped bag that often held spiral notebooks and different writing utensils. Naruaki was certainly the image of a proper student. He is a third-year at school compared to Otoji being a second-year; the senpai honorific being given due to that. It was a new year for the two after the first day having been a couple weeks ago.</p><p>"A-ah... Sorry if I startled you..." The senior took a few breaths after having jogged his way over, a hand moving to scratch the back of his head. "I just wanted to provide some company."</p><p>A small yet warm laugh escaped Otoji, one of the corners of his mouth going up in amusement. "You don't have to worry about that, senpai... You can walk with me; I don't mind."</p><p>Naruaki produced a slightly bigger smile than Otoji's more gentle one. A few shoulder pats were given to his junior, delighted to be here. The two began to walk the rest of the way side by side, a conversation being picked up as they went (though it was mostly one-sided as Otoji wasn't that much of a talker). There were a few mentions of club sign-ups in the coming weeks alongside Naruaki having a bit of consideration for student council... Otoji himself was thinking of the new music club that was formed in time for the new year; a definite change from having only band. Time flew by as the two exchanged words and, within a few moments, they made it to school grounds.</p><p>Hanafu Academy...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hanafu Academy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>School has come into plain view now...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The school courtyard was vast; a large garden with various cherry trees and different kinds of flowers making a beautiful composition. There was a section off to the west side that acted as a place for both students and staff alike to collaborate in growing their own small crops. This little area would also be incorporated into lessons related to plant life and how plants grow. The exterior of the school building showed that it was separated into one three-floored building and another two-floored building. The two buildings were connected by a breezeway, a plaza, and a walkway; a fountain decorated the plaza area alongside various benches and lamps. The two-floored building's second floor had a small area that acted as a rooftop deck rather than a lower roof. The area was in the shape of a square; cutting into the shape of the second floor's enclosed interior. It was usually used by students as both a study hall and a hang-out space. The top floors of both buildings weren't flat; they had a low gabled shape with flat stone roof tiles to coordinate with the rest of the exterior style the school had. There was a mixture of rural architecture alongside urban elements; light gray bricks and smooth white concrete were a common feature alongside the usual windows seen in other schools.</p><p>There was still a half an hour or so before the school day really begins.</p><p>The two boys stood at the school gate and Naruaki took a breath of fresh air in. With a quick slight tilt of a head, he motioned to Otoji to follow him towards a portion of the courtyard that was all for growing flowers. There was a plot with a tag signifying that it belonged to Naruaki; various colors of gladiolus flowers were growing there and it seems that a good amount of them are mature enough for harvest. But not at the moment. He doesn't have the tools for the job. Otoji looked over his senpai's little garden spot as the other grabbed the nearby watering can. Water was drizzled into the soil for the flowers to absorb moisture. That's where the roots are, after all; having the water just drizzle on the plant itself doesn't do the trick. A curious hum escaped Otoji; eyes scanning across the different colors present.</p><p>"I've been doing this since I've heard the news... But I didn't want to show you until they were blossoming." Naruaki began to explain why he brought his friend over.</p><p>The news...? Oh... Right.</p><p>"I figured I could do this so that you could... Visit her with a gift. I made sure to find the right flowers that... Hopefully fit the symbolism. So I went with gladiolus flowers. I'm planning on harvesting them after school by the roots... That way you can replant them for her."</p><p>Otoji felt melancholy at that but he appreciated the thought. Not only that but... He was thankful for what Naruaki was doing for him. Especially not just for him... But for her.</p><p>Her name was Aiko Shiomi... The thought of her death was always on his mind; even if it isn't a conscious thought. Otoji gave Naruaki a saddened smile and a hum as a response. A few shoulder pats were given as well in appreciation of the effort.</p><p>"...Let me know when you're... Doing what you need to do. This is..."<br/>Otoji went quiet for a moment. His voice was soft and the tone he gave was evident enough that he was grateful.<br/>"Thank you, senpai..."</p><p>The elder returned the smile at that in response and placed the watering can back where he got it. A look at his phone later to check the time, Naruaki gave another gesture for Otoji to follow him again. This time, to go into the main school building. They don't want to be late for their classes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Hato</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[ April 18th, 20XX | Lunchtime ]</p><p>Aside from Naruaki, Otoji still welcomed another in his circle...<br/>This one has a good way to give him a little chuckle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There he was. Back in the courtyard. Otoji sat at one of the available tables scattered around; the umbrella in the center open to prevent cherry blossom petals from getting into his bento. It was a small box with noodles layered with soy sauce, some salmon sashimi, two things of sushi, and some cooked broccoli; Otoji's usual go-to. The furoshiki cloth was unwrapped and the box was open; lunch was already being eaten. He could see Naruaki in the distance dealing with the flowers he was shown in the morning... There was another person with his senpai over there, most likely a classmate in Naruaki's homeroom. Green hair and red scarf, huh? Perhaps the silver-haired boy had a thing for red cloth. Otoji let out a small chuckle in amusement at the thought.</p><p>"Something got you laughing, 'Toji?"</p><p>His attention broke and shifted towards the voice that just came towards him. Messy black hair covered in a maroon beanie, open uniform jacket with a burgundy buttoned shirt in sight... There was a ruby jeweled choker around his neck... He wore black jeans and gray leather boots for the bottom portion of his body... Tanned skin... Those maroon colored eyes...</p><p>It was no doubt one of Otoji's own classmates; Hato Kurusu.</p><p>"A-ah... Um..." The poor soul was caught off guard by the other's arrival, an embarrassed blush forming. A smirk formed on the Kurusu's face and a few pats were given on Otoji's shoulder.</p><p>"Hey, don't stress too much about it. It's okay to be funny." Hato went ahead to sit with Otoji at the table; he knew the Arisato didn't mind the company. He has gotten to know the quiet soul for a bit since the year started so he's gotten onto the list of welcome faces. "Saw you here by yourself and I wasn't caught up in something else; thought I'd come over."</p><p>"Oh... Uh... Thanks, Hato." A small smile was given to his classmate... He also could have sworn he heard phone keyboard noises. Eventually his felt his own phone buzz and Otoji took it out to see... A text message from Hato who... Is right next to him. It happens to be a video link which he curiously taps on. The video begins before...</p><p>Freeze frame.<br/>Xylophone noises...</p><p>Yep there it is- Wait no. There's.<br/>The lines are flying away.<br/>Otoji kinda looked distraught at the video before he looked up at Hato.</p><p>There was that smug grin on his face. "I gotcha there, 'Toji. It's not the bug but I still got you thrown off anyway!"</p><p>The despair of no stick bug faded at seeing Hato feel so happy with himself. Otoji let out another amused chuckle while giving a few pats on the other's shoulder himself. "You're a good guy, Hato..."</p><p>"I know, huh?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Eyes Through the Fog</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[ April 18th, 20XX | Evening ]</p><p>The Seta household...<br/>Quiet, and barely active...<br/>The only sign of life is Naruaki...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>School has ended for the day. Everyone parted ways until morning comes. The moon has risen in the skies above. Lit street lamps lining the road was a companion to the various lights emitting from windows... Some of which are beginning to turn off. Naruaki was just finishing his bedtime routine and getting under the covers to sleep the night away. Yet the look on his face that, despite the welcome rest, there was something bothering him; a few what-ifs popping into his head. After placing his glasses on the nightstand next to his bed, Naruaki let himself relax... There was a quiet sound of a song in the background for some white noise as his eyes began to close... And he lulls to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ ... ]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>He could tell he was hearing screaming. All three of them are not of his own. Yet all he could hear was a collective muffle. There was panic among them and a group of floating monsters in pursuit. Eventually they were stuck; one of the monsters getting a... Tongue... On one of the three; a young girl it looked like. Yet even if eyes were on her, the dreamer could not distinguish her face; it was of a blur. She looks to have fallen unconscious after the attack and there was evident struggle among the remaining two, both the male who has landed butt first onto the ground... And the one the dreamer sees through the eyes of.</p><p>There was a moment of pure fear as the two braced themselves; the monsters charging towards them...</p><p>Until, at last, the dreamer began to speak...<br/>
Or what seemed to be the dreamer.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>"I am thou..."</strong>
</p><p>It was for certain his own voice... Clear... Prominent... Yet he couldn't tell the meaning behind his words.</p><p>
  <strong>"...Thou art I..."</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>At that moment, the monsters froze in their approach. He could hear the one companion mention something... But it seemed that the person who he has the vision of is more focused on something else... A great blue glow... And what looked to be a card descending from above. A hand reached out to it and, once close, the card hovered over the palm. The dreamer could recognize the resemblance of the design. A tarot card.</p><p>
  <strong>"Thou hast open thine eyes..."</strong>
</p><p>The fingers began to twitch... As if they were anticipating something...</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>"The time... Is now...!"</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>There was more prominence of the blue glow filling the self's vision. And he could hear him speak. Three syllables... Yet muffled. Immediately the held out hand closed tightly around the card; all parts of his vision turning a blue/cyan gradient before he could finally feel himself move. He was there now. And he knew what he needed to do. There was a comment from the grounded companion but, even if everything else was crystal clear, it was still muffled. The monsters fidgeted before one of them began closing in on the summoner... The person who he once saw through the eyes of... And who he feels a weird connection to. The dreamer had lack of understanding behind what is occurring... And if the him he is acting as is really him.</p><p>The summoner reached out an open hand and the dreamer- what seemed to be the dreamer- struck back, a leg going for the attack with what looked to be a large blade on the sole. The one monster burst into black mist, clearly defeated. There was a brief moment of inaction, the summoner taking the time to do something of his own...</p><p>The remaining two monsters took advantage, latching onto the "dreamer" with their large mouths and tongues. One stuck to the hand... And the other went for the head. He stumbled and, from what he could hear, even the summoner felt something. There was a yell in response, words unknown due to the muffled voices of everyone. Instantly he reacted to the monsters on him, tossing the one on his hand away and grabbing the one on his head... He threw it to the ground, the thing stumbling along before recovering and charging at him. In response, he took his weapon and impaled the incoming monster before it could strike him again... The blade went straight through. The monster who was thrown behind him had also recovered and was beginning it's own retaliation. The "dreamer" sensed that and attacked it with his weapon in the form of a strike; the one thing still caught on the blade used in collaboration before it, too, burst into black mist. The remaining monster was stunned.</p><p>The "dreamer" reached out his hand as he backed away for one moment... The summoner called out one more muffled thing before a great flash of lightning struck the final monster. The energy of the lightning expelled from within the "dreamer" and the resulting voltage was enough to reduce the final enemy to the same thing the others have become... Black mist.</p><p>A moment passed and the scene eventually faded; the dream was ending...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ ... ]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The sight of his own room returned, light peeking in through the blinds on his window.<br/>
He was Naruaki again...</p><p>And the same distraught look on his face from the night before had returned once more.</p><p>He sat up and rubbed his face, a tired grunt escaped him. It was that dream again. It had started coming to him just a month prior to the first day of school. It would be every night... And Naruaki failed to understand why. He knew there had to be some sort of significance to it. But what...?</p><p>"....I have to tell someone.... Even if I sound crazy, someone has to understand..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Not Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[April 19th, 20XX | Morning]</p><p>Sometimes, no matter how out of this world your situation may be, you have to reach out to someone.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He knew he had to go to someone.</p><p>Not too long after finishing his daily morning routine, Naruaki rushed out the door with a hand gripped onto the strap of the shoulder bag that he always had. He wanted to be sure he kept it on his shoulder as he began to run off to meet the first person that came to his mind. He wasn't sure about his classmates; there were bound to be a fair amount among them that would brush off something that, despite strange, felt significant to Naruaki. Maybe some would listen but say that it's just a weird coincidence that this dream kept coming around. The big overall answer he honestly felt deep down... Was that it was only a dream; there was nothing special about it. He didn't feel right going to anyone in his class. There was one person who he knew he could go to that would understand where he could come from...</p><p>That person is Otoji.</p><p>He easily caught sight of the Arisato eventually and, much like the morning before, called out to him as he got closer. Both voice and the sounds of his footsteps were enough to catch the other's attention and, eventually, Naruaki caught up. Once again he was taking a few breaths after a long run; his posture bent down with his hands on his knees.</p><p>"Hey, senpai..." Otoji greeted his friend and, after another moment of breathers, helped the Seta back into proper stance. Naruaki readjusted his glasses, the sun's light reflecting off of the lenses a bit as he did. Once he was fully recovered, he spoke to his junior. "H-hey, Otoji... Can we... Can we talk?" There was a slight stutter in his words but the question still got across. A hum of approval and a nod was given in response; prompting Naruaki to carry on the conversation while they walked on to school.</p><p>"Right, um..." A hand was raised to scratch the back of his own head; trying his best to find the words to say. "This might sound... Strange but... I've... I've been having these... These dreams. Well... This one dream... Every night... And it's been..." He didn't look but what words he did give were enough for Otoji's eyes to widen in seemingly disbelief. "It's been bothering me-"</p><p>"You, too...?!"</p><p>"I-I know, I know, it sounds crazy-" Naruaki catches himself as the reply he was given finally hit him. He looked at Otoji proper and noticed the look on his face. "Me, too...? What do you mean?"</p><p>The Arisato's expression turned into one more hopeful, even if it was slight. "I... I didn't know I wasn't the only one... I... I've been having the same dream every night for... Months now... And I... I can't understand them..." Even if that hopefulness was there, he was still very distraught. Otoji crossed his arms and looked forward towards the path ahead but slightly down. "Even before school started again for the new year... The same dream. Every night."</p><p>Naruaki didn't expect this kind of response. Not only did Otoji believe him, he also is experiencing similar. He has a fair assumption that, while circumstances are the same, the specific dreams are different. He collected himself and snapped out of his surprise. They were almost at school... After Naruaki takes care of the flowers, they would have to head to class for the day until...</p><p>"Do you mind... Talking more at lunch...?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[ April 19th, 20XX | Lunchtime ]</p><p>The ball starts to roll...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Much like many days before, their lunches were often spent in the courtyard. It was open, within the realm of nature, and there weren't any risks of anyone eavesdropping. It was the perfect opportunity for Otoji and Naruaki to discuss what they knew. Thus they were at one of the tables with an open umbrella, their bento boxes open so that they can still eat as they're talking.</p><p>
  <em>"...Otoji-kun. Your dreams..." </em>
</p><p>Naruaki let his fingers tap the table; a habit that at least keeps them busy. <em>"What are they like?" </em></p><p>The Arisato went to tug at the bandanna around his neck slightly, eyes looking down towards his food before gazing at his senpai. How does he describe the dream he's been having? They're vivid, of course; he can remember every single detail. Finding the right words to explain those details is another thing. A nervous hum escaped him and he rubbed the back of his neck... Thinking...</p><p>"Um... Well..." Otoji began his attempt to answer. "It starts with... With me looking through the eyes of... Someone... Someone that isn't me. I could see what looked to be a green sky... With a full moon in a similar glow... And... I hear talking. I can't make out what's being said since... Since they're muffled. This person... The one who I see through the eyes of... Despite the muffled voices, I could tell he was feeling afraid... If his breathing signaled anything..."</p><p>Naruaki's eyebrows raised as Otoji continued on. What the other was describing is vastly different from his own dreams... He kept listening to the explanation for the full story, eating some of the food from his bento as he's attentive.</p><p>"Then he seemed to ease... He said one more thing but... It was syllable by syllable." Otoji raised three fingers. "Three syllables. What came after that... My vision filled with blue in a brief moment as I could finally feel myself move. I... I heard myself speak. My voice was fully clear and... I could hear what I was saying. Until a point..."</p><p><em>"What did you say?" </em>The Seta input his own question, wanting further information. Otoji closed his eyes and relaxed, his hands placed on the table...</p><p>"I said... 'Thou art I... And I am thou...'"<br/>
Widened eyes were given in response at that part of the answer.<br/>
"'From the sea of thine soul I cometh'... What I said... I couldn't understand the meaning. Even then, I'm not sure if I was truly myself in these dreams..."</p><p>Naruaki got into a thinking position from where he sat, his widened eyes relaxing. <em>"The first phrase, though... It wasn't in that exact order but I've heard it in my dreams, too. Now that I'm putting more thought into it... That phase... Doesn't it mean 'you are me and I am you'? When we say that in those dreams... It sounds like we're connected to who we first saw through the eyes of in more ways that one..."</em></p><p>"Like... As another side of that person...?"</p><p>
  <em>"I would think so but... We don't have the full details to make a full conclusion. Anyway... What else did you see?" </em>
</p><p>Otoji looked to the side a bit, furrowing his eyebrows as he continued. "From that point, it was a full battle. There was this... Weird... Blue-masked monster with multiple arms and blades... Even if I didn't know what was going on... I still knew what to do either way and... Why I was there. So I fought this monster with what looked to be a... Giant... Harp...? And from what I saw of myself... My hands were... Well, my arms for that matter. They looked to be metallic; my hands and a bit of my forearm were similar to gloves before it reached a bolted area. From that point, there was a metal joint for the elbow... And my arm from that point was metal. In any case I was fighting this weird monster with both the large harp and... I seem to have summoned fire? I still don't understand but... It all came naturally in those dreams..."</p><p>He then raised his hands to make gestures towards his head.</p><p>"Then I heard one more clear voice... It wasn't of my own but... It was in my head, for sure. It sounded like a child and... He said... 'It's okay.' At that, my head would feel this... Big... Headache? I knew I felt that... Something was forcing it's way out of me... From inside me... And as soon as I went limp, I woke up."</p><p>Naruaki gave a hum in thought of what he just heard. This series of events and... How Otoji understood it as best as he could... Similar yet so different from his own dreams...</p><p>
  <em>"That's another thing that I've also had in my dreams; a battle. Of course, even with the comparisons, my dreams aren't exactly like yours."</em>
</p><p>"Then... What are yours like, senpai...?"</p><p>The Seta adjusted his glasses, a glimmer of light reflecting off of them briefly. <em>"Mine starts with a group of three people... Two others and, similar to how yours start, one that I saw through the eyes of. Everything was muffled, as well, so I couldn't understand anything being said. There looked to be floating orb-like monsters with... Giant mouths and long tongues... From what I could gather, that's what they were running away from. One of the three, a girl, was caught by one of these strange monsters and fell unconscious. That left the one boy and the person I had the eyes of left... They seemed to be frozen in place. Before these monsters could attack them, I heard my own voice... Clear and prominent. I knew that the person whose eyes I had could hear me but the other couldn't due to what context I could draw from what I've seen."</em></p><p>"And you said...?"</p><p>
  <em>"I said... 'I am thou... Thou art I... Thou hast opened thine eyes... The time is now.' That first phrase seems to be a common factor in our dreams for reasons unknown... As soon as I finished what I said, I could hear the voice of who I seemed to be connected to again, even if it was still muffled compared to my own... Three syllables, like what you've heard. Then my vision filled with blue and, as it cleared, I could feel myself move. Even if I felt that who I was in those dreams didn't feel like, well, me... I still knew what I was there for. I fought those monsters with all that I had... The weapon I had with me, what looked to be blades on the soles of my shoes... Boots... I don't know... And the lightning that I was able to manifest. When the battle was over and all those weird enemies were gone, the dream faded off and I woke up."</em>
</p><p>Otoji saw the similarities there, too... This couldn't be any coincidence. "...Were you able to recognize any faces?"</p><p>
  <em>"No... Much like how voices were muffled, faces were blurred. I couldn't make out any of them."</em>
</p><p>There was a moment of silence as the two pieced together what they learned from each other, the food from their boxes gradually being consumed. This big wave of information was a lot to take in for both of them. The different details yet the present constants... Otoji could share the feeling that there's more to these dreams than they know. Whatever more there is, he's unsure. What that meant for him and Naruaki... That's also unknown.</p><p>
  <em>"These dreams... They have to mean something. There's something we're missing related to them but we don't know what it is yet. I... I honestly didn't expect you to believe me when I came to you, Otoji-kun... But... Now that I know that we're together in this... I feel more strongly about finding the reason behind it all."</em>
</p><p>A soft hum was offered in response, the Arisato letting himself relax a bit more at the thought.</p><p>"Yeah... I can feel you there."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Pillager of Twilight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[ April 19th, 20XX | Evening ]</p><p>That feeling of having power...<br/>The strength to fight for others and what you believe in...<br/>Isn't that kind of will something vital to grow?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Damn, what a day..."</p><p>He was already in bed... Already in something comfortable... School definitely is something to keep up with and, at times, can tire him out. Hato was lying there; under the covers of his blanket, slowly dozing off to sleep. A fatigued sigh escaped him as he relaxed, slightly adjusting his position to get more comfortable.</p><p>"...I'll see it again... Whatever it means..."</p><p>He knows it; it's been happening for a few weeks now. Every night. He doesn't even know who to go to. What kind of person has repetitive dreams? No one would believe him; he'd be seen as crazy. The thought of that bothered him, knowing there's no one he can reach out to. Dealing with these dreams on his own... No clue to even find the answer to why he's having them. Hato let out a moan, a conflict developing within himself whether to speak up or stay silent...</p><p>With the darkness of the night reaching through the skies, he lets his eyes close... Drifting to sleep...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ ... ]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was always a slap. That's what started it.</p><p>The view would fade in to see what looked to be knights in dark armor, a tyrant in nothing but a cape and underwear, and what looked to be a poor kid in a chokehold by one of the aforementioned knights... It was cruelty at it's worst; even with muffled voices, he can tell the blond is absolutely afraid. The person who he saw through the eyes of... There was hesitance... Fear... Uncertainty. He looked to be frozen in place at the sight of the tyrant taking one of the knight's swords for himself; pointing the tip at the poor kid.</p><p>There was intent to claim his life.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>"What's wrong?"</strong>
</p><p>With the words he gave, he felt himself come to in this dream; a feeling that he was there with them...<br/>
The scene froze, leaving only the self and the dreamer as the focus.</p><p>
  <strong>"Are you simply going to watch? Here, in his final moments, you would forsake him? Nothing awaits him but death. Did you make the wrong choice then too?"</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>There was no hesitation left for the self; the response was immediate... And clear to hear.</p><p>
  <em>"I didn't... No."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>"Very well. I have taken heed of your resolve..."</strong>
</p><p>The dreamer knew these next moments.<br/>
What was to follow, even if it came to him every night, still gave him that sense of invigoration.</p><p>
  <strong>"Vow to me!"</strong>
</p><p>The scene unfroze, a sudden gust of wind taking the tyrant, the knights, and the blond in surprise. Then this wave of power, shared between the self and what seemed to be the dreamer... The self's vision began to shift between blurred and clear; the movements of his body giving away that he was in pain. Within peripheral vision, some of the knights can be seen holding the self against the wall after a muffled command. There was too much movement for the dreamer to see what's going on with the blond... The self was breathing heavily, some strain could be heard as he was trying to do something. What it was, it was hard to tell; the self has his eyes closed. With a great scream... The dreamer's vision filled to blue. He could feel himself come into play properly...</p><p>
  <strong>"I am thou... Thou art I... Thou who would accept blasphemy for the sake of thine own justice... Call upon my name and release thy righteous rage!" </strong>
</p><p>Blue energies swirled from below as his vision gradually returned to the scene... Everyone who bore witness to the events were stunned, unsure as to what is going on. The blond was on the ground compared to the chokehold before.</p><p>
  <strong>"Reveal the strength of thy will to seek the truth on thine own, though thou be chained down by Hell itself!"</strong>
</p><p>With one more clear call, he would make his entrance.</p><p>
  <em>"Come...! <b>█</b><b>█</b><b>█</b><b>█</b><b>█</b><b>█</b>!"</em>
</p><p>As clear as it was, the last portion was always muffled to the point of no clear word. The dreamer couldn't make it out. But even so, he finally made his grand entrance. The blue energies were still there, an effect that kept both tyrant and knights in outright disbelief...</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>"I am the pillager of twilight, ██████." </strong>
</p><p>What was said in between was cut from what the dreamer could hear... As if intentionally creating a missing piece to the puzzle.</p><p>
  <strong>"I shall consider granting you the power to break out of this crisis, if you desire..."</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"Give me your power..."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>How it is so that the self and the dreamer can both be clear in voice in such manner, he didn't know. But he knew that with such command, who the dreamer acted as could not refuse. A great wave of darkness enveloped the knights and shattered their being, leaving behind nothing. That left the tyrant and the blond... Just as the dreamer faded from the dream, he could see the kid get up to charge at the tyrant...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[...]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>With a gradual awakening, Hato's eyes gazed up at the ceiling of his room. He continued to lay there for a moment before a frustrated grunt escaped him. With quick movements, he immediately sat up and got out of bed; beginning his morning routine in a rush despite having plenty of time. He's made his decision.</p><p>"I don't- I don't care if anyone calls me a lunatic... Someone's out there that can take my side! Someone!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Group Formation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[April 20th, 20XX | Morning]</p><p>Mortality, truth, and freedom...<br/>The pieces come together.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hato knew he got his golden opportunity the moment he walked out the door. The sight of his neighbor just starting to make the trek to school was the cue he needed. "Hey! 'Toji!" The white haired male took notice of his call and looked over, giving his attention to Hato. With quick footsteps, the Kurusu jogged his way over; a hand on his head in order to make sure his beanie didn't shift too much. "I need to talk t'ya for a second."</p><p><em>"Eh?"</em> Otoji both flinched slightly and tilted his head before relaxing. <em>"Y-yeah. Go ahead. I'm all ears."</em></p><p>A breath escaped Hato at that note. "Thank god... Listen; you're probably not gonna believe me." The two started making their way down the usual route, Hato keeping a hand on the short straps of his bag as it hangs on his shoulder. "Just... What does it mean when I keep dreaming the same thing?" Otoji froze in place at that note, his eyes widened and his jaw close to dropping.</p><p><em>"</em><em>You too, Hato...?!"</em> It took him a moment to recover from the shock alongside his friend's own expression of disbelief to continue walking side by side. <em>"I- That- That makes three of us, then...!"</em></p><p>"Dude...? Three of us? I mean, I'm glad I'm not alone in this but- Who else?"</p><p>The Arisato rubbed the back of his neck slightly, furrowing his eyebrows for a second before replying. <em>"There's you... Me... And someone from third-year. He's a friend; I was just talking about this with him yesterday."</em> The further along the path they went, Otoji occasionally looked behind him in case the familiar sight of silver hair came into view. <em>"I've been meaning for you to meet him but... Every time it slipped my mind. Now... Now I've got the chance. Um..."</em> There was a bit of silence before he continued to speak. <em>"How long have you... Had this dream?"</em></p><p>"A few weeks. You?"</p><p>
  <em>"Since January."</em>
</p><p>Hato gave a grimace in response. He knew what happened to Otoji that month... And to hear that he's been dealing with this on top of that? "Damn... That's gotta suck." There was a hum in response before Otoji looked behind him again... Only to stop and start waving towards himself and Hato. The other took note of this and was slightly clueless before he, too, looks behind him. There's someone coming.</p><p>
  <em>"Senpai!"</em>
</p><p><strong>"I-I'm coming...!"</strong> That was indeed Naruaki. There was a hand pressing his glasses against his face as he ran towards the two, slowing down as he got closer as to avoid losing his breath again. <strong>"What's going on?"</strong></p><p>"This is him?" Hato waited for a response as the Seta properly joined them... Otoji nodded before motioning the two for introductions; Hato offered his hand at that note. "Right. I'm Hato Kurusu. It's good to see another dreamer." Naruaki widened his eyes at that and looked towards Otoji in confusion... A nod was given to him as well before he accepted Hato's hand for a handshake.</p><p>
  <strong>"Y-yeah. You can say that. I'm Naruaki Seta; it's a pleasure to meet you, Hato-kun."</strong>
</p><p>"Naruaki, eh?" A few small gears turned in the Kurusu's head. "...Mind if I call ya 'Aki?"</p><p>
  <strong>"...Aki?"</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't worry too much about it, senpai... He gave me the nickname 'Toji."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>"Well... I don't mind! It's just... Really sudden since we just met..."</strong>
</p><p>"Alright. Lemme know if it starts to bug you. Anyway, we're gonna talk more about this whole... Repeating dream stuff, right?"</p><p><strong>"Yeah. We're almost there so we'll have to speak at lunch."</strong> School was coming into sight now as the three followed the sidewalk. Naruaki offered a soft hand onto Hato's shoulder. <strong>"There are a few things that Otoji-kun and I have found to be constant between our dreams... If I think of anything when I'm not focused on schoolwork related to possible causes or connections, I'll be sure to let you two know."</strong></p><p>"Gotcha. So we'll meet at lunch." Hato gave a nod as the three walked through the school gates.</p><p> </p><p>There's a shared feeling between them that it's gonna be a long year...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The One who opens the Door</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[ April 20th, 20XX | Lunchtime ]</p><p>The truth starts to come forth...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was now lunch time. Currently Hato and Otoji are sitting together at one of the tables outside with their food out in front of them and thoughts gathering for the discussion ahead. With everything starting to come together, there was no use waiting to go further on the issue. But...</p><p> </p><p><strong>"Where's Aki?"</strong> Their senior was missing from the gathering. The lunch period has been going on for a few moments now and the Seta has yet to join them. Hato was focusing on that more right now since he is also part of the weird dream issue. <strong>"We can't talk without him; how badly does he need to pee?" </strong>Otoji rubbed the back of his neck at that thought, looking around for any signs of that familiar silver hair.</p><p> </p><p><em>"He's not usually this long, though..."</em> There was no sign of Naruaki yet... All that he could see were other students doing their own thing, the local avian fauna both in the skies above and scattered around the courtyard. It was the usual school environment; nothing too special. The added appeal of full bloom cherry blossoms made the scenery more pleasing to the eye... But the two weren't focused on the environment right now.</p><p> </p><p>But speak of the devil and he will appear... As is the case with Naruaki sprinting towards the table. "Guys...!"</p><p>
  <em>"Senpai...!"<br/>
</em>
  <strong>"The hell, Aki? What took you so long?"</strong>
</p><p>The Seta eventually reached the table, bending over to catch his breath after running from the bathroom. "Listen... I think- I think I found a clue."</p><p> </p><p>----[ Moments earlier... ]----</p><p> </p><p>It was the usual bathroom break. Naruaki was at the sink washing his hands and finishing up his business. There was no one else in that specific bathroom at the moment. He was on his own there, the sounds of water being the only thing filling the quiet. It was the usual there. He would finish up what he needed to do before joining the others to discuss what's up. However, when he glanced at the mirror in front of him...</p><p>His reflection began to shift. A thought occurred that it's just a trick of the eye, maybe a hallucination... Naruaki lifted his glasses a bit to rub his eyes to see if that would do anything.</p><p>Nothing; the mirror was still twisting his reflection. Suspicions rose as what he saw of himself turned into a black silhouette... The figure that was once him was now of a different form. There were two shapes pointing upwards from where he knew the head was... And from what was slightly flowing behind, he could make out that there must be a headband. The proportions of the body and what he would assume are clothes were thin and defined. And where the eyes are... They were solid and glowing yellow.</p><p>This couldn't be an illusion. Naruaki knew it had to mean something. He reached his hand towards the mirror, aiming to see if making contact with this shifted image would do anything else.</p><p> </p><p>As he did so, he felt something within him... Something that said this was all too familiar.</p><p> </p><p>Right as his hand touched the mirror... It went straight though. It wasn't resting on the glass like a usual touch would. His hand was within the mirror as if it were water, waves emanating from where his wrist is. The shock of seeing such phenomena happen before his eyes made him retract his hand. Naruaki had to let what he just did sink in for the moment before he stuck a single finger through to make sure...</p><p>This was real.<br/>
This was happening.</p><p> </p><p>----[ Present Moment... ]----</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>"What."</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>This was a shared reaction between both Otoji and Hato as soon as their senior finished explaining what had happened. "I'll admit, I was in disbelief myself, but... But that's what happened! And I have my suspicions that it's connected to our dreams in some way."</p><p>A shared silence in thought was there between the three before Naruaki spoke up once more. "Um, that being said... Hato-kun; what was your dream like?"</p><p> </p><p>The Kurusu adjusted his position in his seat, bending forward a bit to rest his arms on the table. <strong>"Alright. It started in a cell..."</strong></p><p>
  <em>"A prison cell?"</em>
</p><p><strong>"More like a dungeon cell from what I could make out. Anyway, that's where it starts. I saw outright cruel abuse happening in front of me with some... Weird king guy wearing nothing but a cape and underwear."</strong> There was a small spit-take from Naruaki at that. <strong>"I know, it's ridiculous. I couldn't make out any voices or faces, though. Outside of clear sounds and effects, what voices I knew were there sounded like they were in another room and the walls were way too thick. And their faces? It was like they were censored on a news broadcast. Despite that, what I saw I could still understand. He was slapping a poor kid, a high school student at that, senseless before he had one of his beefy knights put the kid against the wall... Hand on the neck in a chokehold."</strong></p><p>Hato let one of his hands hover around his own neck to gesture what he meant.</p><p>
  <strong>"Then the guy takes one of the knights' swords and aims it at the kid. I knew that he was gonna die if nothing was done. But my eyes weren't mine since I was seeing through someone else; I couldn't do anything... Until I said something."</strong>
</p><p>Otoji had a slight shiver up his spine thinking about what he heard. <em>"That's... That's so evil!"</em><br/>
"Agreed! That's outright horrendous!" Naruaki leaned back placed a hand on his chest in horror before relaxing. "But continue on, what did you say?"</p><p>
  <strong>"I was talking to the person I had the eyes of. It was in question of what he going to do about what was happening. I asked something about whether a previous choice was a mistake... But I had no context for what that choice was and where it lead to for who I was talking to. Yet the words came out of my mouth so naturally as if I knew all along. He did give me an answer, though; all clear for me to receive. That choice, whatever it was, wasn't a mistake; what he did was the right thing... From that answer, I knew he isn't going to leave the kid to die."</strong>
</p><p>"He spoke to you? That's new..."</p><p>
  <em>"In our dreams, we couldn't make out the voices of others outside of our own the whole way through, including who we at first had the eyes of. Well... I did hear what seemed to be a child clearly. But it was only one sentence... No context or anything..."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>"Yeesh. Going forward, I started to feel more of myself in that dream as I accepted his answer. Well, still unsure about who I was acting as was really me but anyway... There was this great gust of wind before the vision I had of the scene started to move rapidly. The person I was talking to... I knew he was feeling some sort of pain from the movements of his head and the sounds I heard coming from him. Before his eyes closed for the moment, I saw those knights from earlier were coming towards him. It was a cell, he's trying to pull himself together, I could only assume he was being held against the wall to keep him from moving too much. Then he let out a scream and my vision filled with blue."</strong>
</p><p>"Let me stop you there." Naruaki held up a finger. "You vision filled with blue. Taking a shot in the dark but were some of your next words along the lines of 'I am thou, thou art I'?"</p><p>
  <strong>"I guess that's common because that's exactly it. My voice was loud and clear; powerful, at that. Announcing myself to who I had spoken to before I could hear him again. With a portion of what I had exclaimed being 'call upon my name', I knew he was doing so... But the name he gave was muffled compared to everything else he would say. Regardless, I eventually arrived on the scene proper with my own eyes and my own vision. The kid from earlier was now on the ground since those knights went for my proxy- I guess- earlier. The evil king guy was outright frozen where he stood looking at me."</strong>
</p><p>Hato reclined a bit, resting against the back of the chair he sat in. <strong>"I spoke to my proxy again, introducing myself properly and offering my power, whatever it was, to him. Again, the name was muffled; even if I was the one saying it. The other thing is that I knew I said something else beyond the introduction and my offering; that was also muffled. Regardless I heard him clearly again... He accepted the offer and, with our selves in sync, those knight guys were laid to waste. I doubt those knights were even human, too, since they outright vanished into nothing. After that, I would wake up."</strong></p><p> </p><p>Silence filled the air as everyone took in what Hato's dream was... It was vastly different, for sure. Not only that, outside of the weird stuff, the imagery of that kind of cruelty was... It was horrifying. That poor kid in the dream didn't deserve that. Everything about the dream was settling... And eventually Naruaki spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>"Right. Um..." He let his fingers tap the table. "That's settled. Now... About the mirror thing. I want to see if we can all do it."</p><p>
  <strong>"Are you saying we're gonna go to the bathroom?"</strong>
</p><p>"No...!" The Seta raised his hands a bit before lowering them. "After school, we can meet up at my place. I have a standing mirror in my room that we can use; it should also be wide enough in case we're able to... Walk though. My parents are barely home, too, so we don't need to worry about anyone seeing us."</p><p>
  <em>"And we just have make sure we manage our time in case anything else happens...?"</em>
</p><p>"Exactly. If there's another side of the mirror, we can't be too long unless we want people getting very worried."</p><p><strong>"Then it's settled. We're sticking our hands in Aki's mirror after school."</strong> Hato snickered. <strong>"That's something I never thought I'd say."</strong></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're getting to the juicy stuff next chapter...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Through the Looking Glass</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>[April 20th, 20XX | After School]</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Come on in."</p><p> </p><p>The three have arrived at Naruaki's house thanks to the guidance of said person and, upon arrival, have entered without delay. The inside of his house was organized and clean; there weren't any stray objects around on tables or counters, the bookshelves present have their books in alphabetical order, any dishes that have yet to be cleaned are all in the sink... It looked to be expected for someone like Naruaki to have his house tidy. Hato was the one who took to looking around the living area, a chuckle escaping him as he examined the environment.</p><p><strong>"Hah; much like how I finish my shifts."<br/></strong>"...You're employed, Hato-kun?"<br/>Otoji offered his input, <em>"He's a part-timer at Amaryllis Cafe; a barista."</em></p><p>At that statement, the Seta gave himself a second to think... It was no doubt that he visited that cafe before; many times, actually. He took a good look at Hato and recounted his appearance, seeing if he could make connections. Eventually it hit him; especially with the messy hair and skin tone.</p><p>"Ah... Right... I've seen you..." Naruaki could only let out a nervous laugh; how did he not notice earlier?<br/><strong>"It's the beanie, isn't it?"<br/></strong>"...It's definitely the beanie."</p><p> </p><p>"Right, um," Naruaki lead the way upstairs. "My room is this way... You've let everyone know you're with me, right?" Otoji nodded, humming in response while Hato showed his phone in similar gesture. The Seta gave his own nod in response to that, eventually leading the others to his room. He opens the door for them and lets them in... Much like the rest of the house, it's also very tidy here... Minus the desk he works at. There are various papers and open books scattered across it along with stray pencils and pens. Much like he has said at lunch, there is a standing mirror in the corner of his room... It was tall enough and wide enough for one person, indeed. After the three fully enter the room, Naruaki closes the door behind him.</p><p>"Alright, so... Otoji."<br/><em>"What is it, senpai...?"<br/></em>"You've had these dreams longer than we have. I think you should try, first."</p><p>The Arisato gave his senior a worried look before following through with the request. Otoji approached the mirror and reached his hands towards it, the other two following behind him to watch. He wasn't sure if it'll work for him; he expects his hand to touch the mirror's glass like normal. As soon as he makes contact, that expectation fails him; his hand goes through and he almost falls due to getting caught off guard. Luckily Naruaki and Hato were close by to catch him before he fell through. The three shared glances in utter disbelief... Hato gave it a try without even needing a cue to. Much like the two before him, his own hand sticks through.</p><p>
  <strong>"What the fuck...?"</strong>
</p><p>Naruaki joins them, sticking his own hand through... Much like the bathroom mirror, he is able to do it here with his own. All three of them had their hands in the mirror before they took them out; a few glances between them and their hands shared.</p><p>"So we can all do it... Then there has to be another side."</p><p>With that said, Naruaki adjusted his glasses and took lead, getting closer to the mirror.</p><p>
  <em>"Wait...!"</em>
</p><p>Naruaki stopped what he was doing to look behind him... Otoji crossed his arms, shifting his posture every now and again and glancing between the mirror and his senior... His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth took on a frown. <em>"What if... What if it's dangerous on the other side? What if we don't make it back? I don't..."</em> He looked tense, the thoughts he had overwhelming him. <em>"I-"</em></p><p><strong>"Toji." </strong>Hato cut him off.<strong> "You want the answers to your dreams, right?"</strong></p><p>
  <em>"Yeah... But..."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>"Then you can't let anything stop you. We're in this together, now, so we can watch each other's backs. And with how absolutely strange this whole thing is, I have no doubts that something over there will give us a trick up our sleeves; somehow, someway. You can't doubt yourself... And you can't doubt how strong you can be."</strong>
</p><p><em>"How strong I can be...?"</em> Otoji took a moment to let Hato's words sink in... He relaxed a bit, lowering his arms from being crossed and letting his hands curl into fists. He took a breath... And let out a soft exhale. This was the first push towards what he's looking for... And there's no turning back now.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Right... Let's go."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>With that, the three went through the mirror one at a time...<br/>What they first saw... Was pure white.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The First Calling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What lies on the other side is a world that they have yet to understand… And what greets them is their chance to fight onward towards this understanding.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The view of pure white eventually fades… And the scene enters into a darkened room in complete disarray. There were some bits of destroyed furniture alongside some holes in both the walls and the floor. Then there were a few cracks scattered across different surfaces… All that could be seen in these cracks was visual white noise… Static… Not a single word was said as Otoji’s vision finally focused on the environment around him. He took a few steps forward towards what looked to be an open door...</p><p>“What…?”</p><p>Otoji couldn’t find any more words to say. Where he was now was beyond him. Silence was ever present in the area; he didn’t know why. He’d expect a comment from Naruaki and/or Hato in terms of this. But when he turned around to face what was behind him…</p><p> </p><p>There was nothing. His friends weren’t by his side as they were supposed to be… Nor was there a method of returning back to Naruaki’s room.</p><p> </p><p>His heart began to pound.</p><p> </p><p>Without any moments of hesitation, Otoji bolted out the door. He couldn’t stay there… He couldn’t! He’s not sure where his friends are and he doesn’t know what to expect of where he was now… Outside of the one room was a lengthy hallway in similar ruin… There were intersections aplenty… Yet no map to guide him.</p><p>“Senpai?! Hato?!”</p><p>His fearful calls only echoed as he ran in random directions; taking turns down paths he felt would lead him to them. Otoji’s breathing started to quicken in pace, shaking and heavy… The beat of his heart pounding with great prominence… With a lack of an answer to his calls, the panic that was already present would only get worse.</p><p>Eventually he was greeted with a dead end. Otoji skid to a stop… But he couldn’t stay still. He already started to turn around to go another way…</p><p> </p><p>But what was starting to approach him wanted otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>There was a pool of white noise gradually coming closer to him. He took a few steps backwards before his back was against the wall. From there, the pool began to morph… Raising and taking on multiple forms… All of them were of a chibi-esque creature; a screen with the roman numeral of one appearing on them making up their heads and faces. Their hands weren’t even hands… But drills. Even then, it didn’t seem like their forms stayed coherent; they glitched and distorted.</p><p>Otoji already knew that these things didn’t mean well. With how they were approaching them, he knew that they were going to hurt him…</p><p> </p><p>He was afraid.</p><p> </p><p>Alone… Afraid… And no way of even trying to fight back… If he were to start running from here, there was no doubt that these things would go for his legs as soon as he started passing them. There was no way out… And this may be the end.</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t want to die…<br/>
<strong><em>He doesn’t want to die!</em></strong></p><p> </p><p>“S-someone please…!” </p><p>His desperate calls for help echoed through the hallways… <br/>
There was no answer...</p><p>“Help me! PLEASE!”</p><p> </p><p>Otoji hid himself in his arms; a last ditch effort to protect himself, no matter how futile it may be. These creatures… They were ready to pounce… To go for the kill…</p><p> </p><p>Before they froze.</p><p>Everything froze.</p><p>The scene became dim…</p><p>Except for him. He remained in light… And in motion...</p><p> </p><p>Otoji lowered his arms in order to see in full what had happened. The darkened halls were more dark than they were… And the creatures were still… As if time came to a stop. His breathing steadied ever so slightly… And his heartbeat slowed just by a bit. He didn’t know what was going on… Were his pleas answered?</p><p>“What is…?”</p><p>He started to take a step forward… Until another voice reached out to him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>“You need not be afraid…”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Otoji froze in place upon hearing such. What he just heard… He couldn’t even mistake it.</p><p>“That… That’s my… My voice…!”</p><p> </p><p>A glow of a white silhouette entered his vision; a figure who floated in place right in front of him. The glow would eventually fade and reveal this figure entirely… His form was mechanical; with the upper portions of each limb being of visible metal… Metallic hinge joints taking the place of elbows and knees… The forearms, calves, and hands were given as portions of the body covered in white fabric… And there didn’t seem to be any form of feet outside of the flat portions of the bottom of the calves. </p><p>The hip joints and shoulder joints were of similar composition but were more puffed out in shape… The torso also took on a metallic form with three jointed sections; one for the upper torso, one for the abdomen, and one for the pelvic area. There was what looked to be a speaker on the section that represented the abdomen. At the neck was a red scarf… but the sides were lengthened and raised in order to wrap around the head. </p><p>The head itself was more human in comparison to the mechanical body… It was dark black in color… The eyes took on a pure red glow; every portion of the eye being the same color from sclerae to pupil… The face this figure bore was eerily like his own… It’s structure is literally exact. And the hair… White with more silver definitions… Styled in a way that the bangs covered the right eye… The back portion being close to shoulder length in comparison to an actual human body.</p><p>What also floated behind this figure was a large, elegantly crafted lyre…</p><p>Otoji recognized that lyre from his own dreams… This couldn’t be a coincidence.</p><p> </p><p>Those glowing red eyes gazed upon his own...</p><p>Otoji could only stand in silence...<br/>
In bewilderment...<br/>
In awe...</p><p>The answer he was looking for is now in front of him...<br/>
...In the form of a being that bore his very face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>“You needn't distress any longer… You have sought for the reason behind visions unknown… Now… I shall grant you the answer.”</strong>
</p><p>The entity’s voice was presented through the speaker seen on the abdomen… His mouth is not even moving to fit what he said. Otoji wasn’t concerned about such… What he was paying attention to was what had been said.</p><p>“Y-you mean… My dreams…?”</p><p>The entity closed his eyes and turned his head to the side… <strong>“Yes. Prior to this moment, it was the only method of reaching you…”</strong> ...Before returning his gaze back to Otoji. <strong>“You have a greater role in what is to come than you realize…”</strong></p><p>A greater role…? To what? He couldn’t understand what this being was saying to him… Should he worry about it right now? What is there to even say? Otoji’s body was still shaken from what had occurred before… But somehow it had relaxed as soon as the entity appeared before him. As if there was a sense of comfort… Perhaps even familiarity… Otoji tried to find the words to say… Or to even ask… The only thing he could put together was…</p><p>“…Who… Are you, then…? You have… You have my voice but…”</p><p> </p><p>The entity placed a hand on his chest, gesturing to himself.</p><p>
  <strong>“I am of another world…”</strong>
</p><p>Before Otoji could even ask what that meant, the one hand on his chest was lowered and offered towards him.</p><p>
  <strong>“I am Orpheus, master of strings… And you, Otoji Arisato, are my Mirror.”</strong>
</p><p>Then what looked to be everything started to come together. He’s heard that one part in his dreams… Master of strings… But that was in reference towards himself… Not this entity. Unless… This entity is also him? This… Orpheus? And using the word mirror as a term towards himself rather than an object… Things were starting to click… But there wasn’t even enough to finish the puzzle yet despite it. His train of thought was eventually interrupted as Orpheus began to speak again; his hand still out towards Otoji.</p><p>
  <strong>“Allow me to lend you my power… To fight onward for the sake of yourself… And your companions.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>His companions…?</p><p>His friends!</p><p> </p><p>Otoji’s thoughts began to race once more. They were still out there! If they walked through the mirror together then they must be somewhere in this building! However, he wasn’t sure how to get past these creatures… And what this power offered to him does.</p><p> </p><p>Hato’s words eventually echoed back to him.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> [...I have no doubts that something over there will give us a trick up our sleeves; somehow, someway. You can't doubt yourself... And you can't doubt how strong you can be.] </em> </span>
</p><p>Eventually everything sunk in. His heart calmed, his breathing steadied even more… He was finally coming together. With a bit of his new resolve, he accepted the hand offered to him, gripping it tight.</p><p> </p><p>“Right… I accept.”</p><p> </p><p>Upon contact, blue and cyan energies began to crawl across his arm… They traveled upwards before reaching his neck… And eventually around his head. They settled, closing in as if he were absorbing them… And his irises flashed a bright cyan in response. Otoji felt something new within him… As if his entire being felt stronger… Not just in body… But in mind. </p><p>The two let go of their hands from being held together and lowered them back to their sides. As soon as they released contact, Orpheus started to fade off in a small flurry of those similar energies… Otoji slightly reached out before lowering his hand again.</p><p> </p><p>Before completely gone, the other said one last thing.</p><p>
  <strong>“Do not let despair overtake you, my Mirror.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Eventually… Orpheus faded from sight completely. The scene around Otoji resumed; whatever light there was before returning and the creatures were able to move. Though, in comparison to what had happened prior, they were now stuttering in place. They were reacting to something… They weren’t about to pounce as they once intended to.</p><p>Otoji wasn’t sure how to work what power he was given. He didn’t even know what this power was. All he knew is that he had it now…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Can you hear me?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Another voice. Another exactly like his. But this one was… Slightly more monotone in approach. But he didn’t have an opportunity to question it as a slight pain in his head came to him. Otoji flinched as soon as he felt it, his hands going to his head.</p><p>“What…? Wh-who…?”</p><p>He groaned as the pain seemed to grow a bit in intensity. His hands gripped his head in an attempt to withstand it…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...So we have a connection.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The voice continued to speak… Otoji’s body shifted in position and posture as he tried to keep himself steady. The pain was hard for him to bear…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Take my words with what you will… This is your time. Take back the light that has been lost to you. What is gone...” </em>
</p><p>Otoji’s eyes widened… And the pain began to subside. His irises turned cyan once again… And they began to glow with great radiance…</p><p>
  <em> “...Is never forgotten.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He lowered his hands to his sides and curled them into fists. This strange feeling inside of him… It began to intensify… It felt invigorating… Strong… Powerful… This great rush of adrenaline began to flow through him; a large grin beginning to form on his face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I am thou... Thou art I… From thy looking-glass, I rise…” </em>
</p><p>Blue and cyan energies once again emerged… They began to rise from around his feet, swirling around him as the voice continued on…</p><p>
  <em> “The grave of one shalt never be thy downfall... I grant thee my strength... For I shalt heed thy call and guide thee to a new light...” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>These energies continued to build in power… Otoji gazed at the creatures before him; a feeling of bravery finally coming to light.</p><p>There was no questioning it… This was just what he needed.</p><p>He opened his mouth… Letting the power within him show itself more in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Per…”</p><p>The energies continued to intensify...</p><p>“...So…”</p><p>His voice became louder...</p><p>“...Na!”</p><p>And his power became evident...</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It begins...</p>
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